CHAPTER 5

1 And you, son of man f take thee a sharp sword, Take thee a barber’s razor, and pass it over thy head and thy beard: Then take thee a just balance and divide the hair.

2 A third part you shall burn in the midst of the city, When the days of the siege are fulfilled; A third part shall you smite about with the sword; And another third shall you scatter to the wind; And I will unsheathe the sword after them.

3 Then you shall take a few of them, And bind them in thy skirts.

4 Then take some of them. and cast them into the fire, And burn them; for thence shall fire go forth Upon all the house of Israel.

5 Then says the Lord Jehovah, This is Jerusalem: In the midst of the nations and of the surrounding countries Have I placed her.

6 And she has changed my judgments into wickedness Beyond all the nations, and my statutes beyond all the surrounding people: They have despised my judgments, And have not walked in my statutes.

7 Therefore, thus says the, Lord Jehovah, Because of your multiplication more than the nations round about you, And your not walking in my statutes, and not keeping my judgments, And your not acting like the nations around you,

8 Wherefore, thus says the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I ant against thee, even I: And I will execute my judgments in the midst of thee Before the eyes of the Gentiles.

9 And I will execute against thee what I never yet have done, Nor will ever do in future, On account of all your abominations.

10 Therefore fathers shall devour their sons, And sons their fathers, in the midst of thee: I will execute judgments against thee, And disperse all thy remnants to all winds of heaven.

11 Because I live, says the Lord Jehovah, Since you has polluted my sanctuary ³⁰⁴³⁰⁴     The rendering according to note,vol. 1, p. 205. With all thy detestable and abominable things, Therefore I will break thee in pieces: My eye shall not spare, neither will I pity thee.

12 A third part shall die of the pestilence, And be consumed by famine in the midst of thee; A third part shall be consumed by the sword round about thee; A third part will I disperse towards every wind, And will draw out a sword after them.

13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, And I will cause my burning anger to rest upon them; And I will enjoy consolation; and they shall know that I am Jehovah, Who have spoken in my zeal, when I shall have accomplished my fury on them.

14 Moreover, I will lay thee waste, And make thee a reproach among the nations around thee In the eyes of every passer by.

15 So you shall be a reproach and a reviling, A chastisement and an astonishment to the nations round about thee, While I shall execute judgments against thee In anger and burning, and furious rebukes. I Jehovah have spoken it.

16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine For their destruction, which I shall dart upon them to destroy them; ³⁰⁵³⁰⁵     See vol. 1, p. 213, note. Then will I add famine against them, And will break their staff of bread.

17 Then will I send against you famine and wild beasts, And they shall bereave you: and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; And I will cause the sword to come upon thee. ³⁰⁶³⁰⁶     See vol. 1, p. 215, note. I Jehovah have spoken it.